A screening of From Saigon to Sanctuary, a video documentary featuring the stories of Vietnamese refugees who made their way to West Michigan after the Communist takeover of South Vietnam in 1975. President Gerald R. Ford discusses the historic setting, which brought the several waves of refugees to America. Compelling interviews of escape, historic film footage of the Vietnam War and an assessment of the contributions that Vietnamese Americans now make to the larger society are all featured. Winner of the 2002 Communicator Award for Ethnic Understanding. Discussion follows led by film producers Frank Jamison and Huan Le.

A panel of African American veterans will share their wartime experiences with emphasis on the particular issues and challenges faced by people of color during and after the war. Moderated by Harold Bulger. Panelists include Charles Hampton (napalm survivor), Al Dixon (present at fall of Saigon), David Mims (medic), and Buddy Hannah. Presented concurrently with the Black Heritage Book Fair, Douglass Community Association. Read More»

Hear Mike Boehm, Veterans for Peace, describe his work to foster reconciliation between U.S. veterans and the Vietnamese people through such projects as the My Lai Peace Park. Reception follows.

A screening of From Saigon to Sanctuary, a video documentary featuring the stories of Vietnamese refugees who made their way to West Michigan after the Communist takeover of South Vietnam in 1975. President Gerald R. Ford discusses the historic setting, which brought the several waves of refugees to America. Compelling interviews of escape, historic film footage of the Vietnam War and an assessment of the contributions that Vietnamese Americans now make to the larger society are all featured. Winner of the 2002 Communicator Award for Ethnic Understanding. Discussion follows led by film producers Frank Jamison and Huan Le.

A panel of local residents will describe their involvement in military service, anti-war protests, and recognition of veterans, and reflect on how Vietnam has continued to affect them over the past thirty years. Moderated by Olga Bonfiglio, author of Heroes of a Different Stripe. Panelists include Bill Krasean, Mike Cooper, Ron Kiracofe, and others.

A panel of local literary experts will discuss narrative structure, characters, style, and storytelling in the award-winning short stories of The Things They Carried. Moderated by Denise Miller, KVCC English instructor. Panelists include Sherry Ransford (Kalamazoo Central HS English teacher), Gail Griffin, (Kalamazoo College English professor), Bill Combs (WMU emeritus English professor), and Larry ten Harmsel (WMU Lee Honors College).

Concert and Sing-along

Singer/songwriter Pat Madden, whose rich alto voice and spirited presence has enlivened the Michigan folk music scene for twenty-five years, will perform music from and inspired by the Vietnam era.
Free program - $5 donation suggested. A portion of proceeds will be donated to Ministry with Community.

Through a combination of audio, video and live performance, Professor Daniel C. Jacobson of the Western Michigan University School of Music will discuss the impact of popular songs of the 1960s on the turbulent socio-political climate of that era. 

Dr. Jacobson completed his Ph.D. programs in both musicology and music theory at the University of California-Santa Barbara and has taught a wide variety of graduate and undergraduate courses in music history, analysis, appreciation, and technology. He received the WMU College of Fine Arts Outstanding Service Award in 2002.  His research includes publications in books, professional journals, and nationally released CD-ROM/multimedia. He currently teaches music history at Western Michigan University.

The language and culture that bind them together also present challenges for Latino soldiers, who often serve in disproportionate numbers in the U.S. armed forces. Sponsored by the Hispanic American Council.

Local experts discuss how the Vietnam War’s costs can be measured in dollars, as well as its toll in terms of politics, the environment, mental health, and health of the soul. Panel moderated by Dr. Ed Martini, WMU history department.  Panelists include:  Father John Grathwohl, St. Ambrose Church; Dr. Bill Bloem, Battle Creek VA Medical Center; Don Jarzambek, Kalamazoo County veterans affairs office; Huan Le, South Vietnamese refugee; Dr. Bill Kern, WMU economics department.

Drs. Gloria Larrieu, Kalamazoo Valley Community College English instructor, and Thomas Seiler, emeritus professor of English, Western Michigan University, will examine the formal, stylistic, and thematic connections between Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried and Mark Doty's Heavens Coast, books in which the authors wrestle with, respectively, the experience of war (Vietnam) and that of plague (the loss of a partner to AIDS). Cosponsored by KVCC and the Kalamazoo Gay Lesbian Resource Center.

Reflections on a Recent Trip

Edo Weits, Western Michigan University Holistic Health Department, spent a tour of in Vietnam as a member of the officers' class that sustained the highest number of casualties. In February 2006 he, along with classmates and widows, returns to Vietnam as part of the humanitarian efforts of the East Meets West Foundation.

Panel discussion moderated by Michael Pritchard, Co-Director of the WMU Center for the Study of Ethics in Society. 

Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried makes clear that among the things carried by those involved in war is a tremendous moral burden. This panel discussion will focus on this and other reflections in O'Brien's book that give rise to questions about war, justice, and morality.

Room 209 Bernard Student Center, WMU. 

Michael Pritchard (Co-Director, Center for the Study of Ethics in Society) will moderate.  Panelists will be:  Jilll McAllister (Minister, People's Church); Fritz Allhoff (WMU Assistant Professor, Philosophy), Walter Siewart (WMU Graduate Student, Philosophy), and Jennifer Praner (WMU Undergraduate Student).